NELSON Mandela has been granted freedom of the city with the historic occasion marked by the unveiling of a portrait of the statesman by Salford artist Harold Riley.

NELSON Mandela has been granted Freedom of the City with the historic occasion marked by the unveiling of a portrait of the statesman by Salford artist Harold Riley.

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NELSON Mandela has been granted freedom of the city with the historic occasion marked by the unveiling of a portrait of the statesman by Salford artist Harold Riley.

Mr Mandela has joined the likes of LS Lowry and world-renowned composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies who have been awarded the honour.

Mr Riley and Hanneli Rupert, of the Imibala children's charity in South Africa, accepted the award on behalf of Mr Mandela at a special ceremony at The Lowry.

The painting, which has already been displayed in South Africa, is the only time Mr Mandela has ever sat for a portrait and was completed after many visits by Harold Riley to Mandela's home.

It will now take pride of place at New York's Rockefeller Center, where it will be auctioned to coincide with Black American History Month.

Mr Riley said: "This event presented the perfect opportunity to showcase this unique portrait of an extraordinary man. It is important to me that people in Salford get the chance to see it.

"On the few occasions I have met him, I have found Mr Mandela to be a man of enormous humility and great charisma, and to have outstanding dignity."

Salford City Council leader John Merry said: "The Freedom of the City is the highest honour we can confer on anyone. We know Mr Mandela would be welcomed in every single one of our communities and we wanted to acknowledge the inspiration he has provided and the unique contribution he has made, to the lives of so many people around the world, but particularly those in our own city."

He added: "What we're trying to do is to use this partly to raise the profile of Salford as well as commemorating Nelson Mandela.

"Harold Riley is a Salfordian born and bred and this will help bring about the arrival of Salford into wider international communities.

"It's not specifically about Mandela but about using Riley as an ambassador to raise the profile of Salford internationally."